American college football season
The 1981 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cougars were led by 10th-year head coach LaVell Edwards and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. The team competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, winning their sixth consecutive conference title with a conference record of 7–1. BYU was invited to the 1981 Holiday Bowl, where they defeated Washington State. They were ranked 13th in the final AP Poll with an overall record of 11–2.
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 5 | at Long Beach State* | No. 16 | | W 31–8 | 20,953 | [1] |
September 12 | Air Force | No. 15 | | W 45–21 | 38,712 | [2] |
September 19 | at UTEP | No. 13 | | W 65–8 | 19,400 | |
September 26 | at Colorado* | No. 11 | | W 41–20 | 43,259 | |
| Utah State* | No. 10 | | W 32–26 | 41,129 | |
October 10 | UNLV* | No. 8 | | L 41–45 | 39,852 | [3] |
October 17 | at San Diego State | No. 17 | | W 27–7 | 41,727 | |
October 24 | at Wyoming | No. 13 | | L 20–33 | 22,745 | |
October 31 | New Mexico | | | W 31–7 | 36,343 | |
November 7 | at Colorado State | | | W 63–14 | 17,851 | |
November 14 | at No. 19 Hawaii | | | W 13–3 | 45,355 | |
November 21 | Utah | No. 18 | | W 56–28 | 47,163 | |
| vs. No. 20 Washington State* | No. 14 | | W 38–36 | 52,419 | |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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[4]
1981 BYU Cougars football team roster |
Players | Coaches |
Offense | Defense | Special teams | - Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Injured Redshirt Roster |
At Long Beach State
[edit] Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
BYU | Passing | Jim McMahon | 28/45, 403 Yds, 2 INT |
Rushing | Scott Pettis | 5 Rush, 37 Yds,TD |
Receiving | Dan Plater | 8 Rec, 99 Yds |
Long Beach St | Passing | Angelo Gasca | 11/24, 73 Yds, 3 INT |
Rushing | Tim Gross | 14 Rush, 40 Yds |
Receiving | Louis Leidelmeyer | 2 Rec, 43 Yds |
Scoring summary |
Quarter | Time | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Plays | Yards | TOP | BYU | LBS | 1 | | | | | BYU | Scott Pettis 10-yard touchdown run, Kurt Gunther kick good | 7 | 0 | 2 | | | | | BYU | Interception returned 12 yards for touchdown by Todd Shell, Kurt Gunther kick good | 14 | 0 | 2 | | | | | BYU | 32-yard field goal by Kurt Gunther | 17 | 0 | 3 | | | | | BYU | Waymon Hamilton 2-yard touchdown run, Kurt Gunther kick good | 24 | 0 | 3 | | | | | BYU | Blocked punt recovered in end zone for touchdown by Tom Holmoe, Kurt Gunther kick good | 31 | 0 | 4 | | | | | Long Beach St | Darryl Stokes 11-yard touchdown reception from Doug Disney, 2-point run good | 31 | 8 | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 31 | 8 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Air Force | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | • BYU | 10 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 45 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | BYU | Hudson 10 yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 7–0 | | Q1 | | BYU | Gunther 32 yard field goal | BYU 10–0 | | Q2 | | BYU | Hamilton 1 yard run (Gunther kick) | BYU 17–0 | | Q2 | | AFA | Kirby 75 yard punt return (Pavlich kick) | BYU 17–7 | | Q2 | | BYU | Kozlowski 12 yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 24–7 | | Q3 | | BYU | Hamilton 4 yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 31–7 | | Q3 | | AFA | Sundquist 1 yard run (Pavlich kick) | BYU 31–14 | | Q4 | | AFA | James 13 yard run (Pavlich kick) | BYU 31–21 | | Q4 | | BYU | Hamilton 12 yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 38–21 | | Q4 | | BYU | Sikahema 8 yard run (Gunther kick) | BYU 45–21 | |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • BYU | 14 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 41 | Colorado | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 20 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | BYU | Plater 44-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 7-0 | | 1 | | BYU | Pettis 7-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 14-0 | | 2 | | BYU | Gunther 40-yard field goal | BYU 17-0 | | 3 | | BYU | Kozlowski 3-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 24-0 | | 3 | | COL | James 33-yard pass from Essington (pass failed) | BYU 24-6 | | 3 | | BYU | Hudson 11-yard pass from Young (Gunther kick) | BYU 31-6 | | 4 | | COL | Rouson 7-yard run (pass failed) | BYU 31-12 | | 4 | | BYU | Plater 22-yard pass from Young (Gunther kick) | BYU 38-12 | | 4 | | BYU | Gunther 32-yard field goal | BYU 41-12 | | 4 | | COL | Beebe 1-yard pass from Essington (Johnson pass from Essington) | BYU 41-20 | |
[6]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Utah St | 0 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 26 | • BYU | 0 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 32 | - Date: October 2
- Location: Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah
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Scoring summary |
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| 2 | | USU | Jones 8-yard pass from Canales (Money kick) | Utah St 7-0 | | 2 | | BYU | Pettis 6-yard run (Gunther kick) | Tie 7-7 | | 3 | | USU | McPherson 4-yard pass from Canales (Money kick) | Utah St 14-7 | | 3 | | BYU | Hamilton 1-yard run (kick failed) | Utah St 14-13 | | 4 | | USU | McPherson 5-yard pass from Canales (kick failed) | Utah St 20-13 | | 4 | | BYU | Collie 8-yard pass from Young (Gunther kick) | Tie 20-20 | | 4 | | USU | Turner 6-yard run (kick failed) | Utah St 26-20 | | 4 | | BYU | Hamilton 42-yard run (kick failed) | Tie 26-26 | | 4 | | BYU | Shell 19-yard interception return (kick failed) | BYU 32-26 | |
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Game information |
First quarter - BYU – Waymon Hamilton 2-yard run (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 7–0.
- BYU – Scott Collie 63-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Lee Johnson kick). BYU 14–0.
Second quarter - WYO – Phil Davis 30-yard run (kick failed). BYU 14–6.
- WYO – Charles Moore 25-yard run (run good). Tie 14–14.
Third quarter - WYO – Phil Davis 32-yard run (Steve Tobin kick). Wyoming 21–14.
Fourth quarter - WYO – James Williams 81-yard pass from Phil Davis (two-point conversion failed). Wyoming 27–14.
- WYO – Phil Davis 28-yard run (two-point conversion failed). Wyoming 33–14.
- BYU – David Mills 5-yard pass from Jim McMahon (kick failed). Wyoming 33–20.
| - Top passers
- BYU – Jim McMahon – 29/47, 393 yards, 2 TD, INT
- WYO – Phil Davis – 5/11, 124 yards, TD
- Top rushers
- BYU – Scott Pettis – 9 rushes, 58 yards
- WYO – Phil Davis – 16 rushes, 140 yards, 3 TD
- Top receivers
- BYU – Scott Collie – 5 receptions, 123 yards, TD
- WYO – James Williams – 4 receptions, 114 yards, TD
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I'd rather lose and live in Provo than win and live in Wyoming.
LaVell Edwards, following the loss
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • BYU | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 | Hawaii | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 2 | | BYU | Gunther 19-yard field goal | BYU 3-0 | | 2 | | BYU | Gunther 45-yard field goal | BYU 6-0 | | 3 | | BYU | Balholm recovered fumble in end zone (Gunther kick) | BYU 13-0 | | 4 | | HAW | Larsen 40-yard field goal | BYU 13-3 | |
[8]
Utah at #18 BYU | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Utah | 10 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 28 | • BYU | 14 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 56 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | UTAH | Rodgers 87-yard run (Alvarez kick) | Utah 7-0 | | 1 | | BYU | Pettis 6-yard run (Gunther kick) | Tied 7-7 | | 1 | | UTAH | Alvarez 43-yard field goal | Utah 10-7 | | 1 | | BYU | Hudson 8-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 14-10 | | 2 | | UTAH | Alvarez 27-yard field goal | BYU 14-13 | | 2 | | BYU | Hamilton 1-yard run (Gunther kick) | BYU 21-13 | | 2 | | BYU | Mills 6-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 28-13 | | 2 | | BYU | McKee 18-yard interception return (Gunther kick) | BYU 35-13 | | 2 | | UTAH | Rodgers 1-yard run (Ferguson to Rodgers pass) | BYU 35-21 | | 3 | | UTAH | Rodgers 8-yard run (Alvarez kick) | BYU 35-28 | | 3 | | BYU | Hamilton 1-yard run (Gunther kick) | BYU 42-28 | | 3 | | BYU | Plater 27-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 49-28 | | 4 | | BYU | Hudson 37-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick) | BYU 56-28 | |
Jim McMahon passes for 565 yards and becomes the NCAA's career leader in the category.
Holiday Bowl (vs Washington State)
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Team players in the NFL
[edit] The following were selected in the 1982 NFL draft.
[9]
- ^ "Long Beach: BYU Defense Is Too Much". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 6, 1981. p. III-7. Retrieved February 10, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dunn, Marion (September 13, 1981). "Bottom Line: BYU 45, AFA 21". Daily Herald. p. 6. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vegas shocks BYU, 45-41". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. October 11, 1981. p. 6B.
- ^ "BYU '82 Football" (PDF). BYU Athletics. p. 2. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "BYU Thumps Air Force." Gainesville Sun. 1981 Sept 13.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1981 Sept 27.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1981 Oct 3.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1981 Nov 17.
- ^ "1982 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
- ^ "Awards". www.touchdownclubofcolumbus.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
- ^ "College Football Awards - ESPN". Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |